Danielle's Other Other OTHER Online Journal

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FIC: And Now, With Dragons! [NC-17, 1/3]

Title: And Now, With Dragons!Author:dmitchell1985Artist:selecasharpArt Prompt:HERE Please go check it out.Beta:crazyfoolstineyFandom: SupernaturalRating: NC-17Pairings: Sam/Jessica, Dean/Sam, and Sam/Jessica/DeanSummary: Sam has settled into his new life with Jessica and his greatest concerns are Finals and keeping Jessica happy. When the world goes to hell, Dean comes charging back into Sam’s life, whether he wants him to or not. They are all faced with the rise of Lucifer and the Dragons who are assigned to guard him. How will Sam, Jessica, Dean, and a trio of baby Dragons safeguard the future of Earth and all who inhabit the planet, when Sam and Dean cannot seem to work past their own intimate past?Warnings/Enticements: incest, battle violence, severed body parts, blood, voyeurism, alternate reality, minor character death, Dragon hunting, languageWord Count: 30,034Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Supernatural and I do not make any money from this work of fiction.Author’s Notes: My god, where to start? I am personally amazed with myself for being able to tackle such a large story. I have literally never written anything this long in my life. However, I could not have done it without selecasharp’s wonderful, wonderful prompt to ignite my passion, my creativity, and my determination to do her art work justice. I could not have pushed through without the help of my beta and writing partner, crazyfoolstiney. I am extremely proud of this fic for what it represents to me and it has inspired me to try harder. Selecasharp’s art work forced me to consider the ways in which a world of Hunters and Dragons could exist together and why. I hope that all who read it enjoy it.

Do note that the fic is not completely canon compliant, in that dead characters are brought back and I used things from all over canon to craft this fic. Most of the major spoilery stuff is from season one to season five.

Also, you can literally play a game of pick out the cultural/show references, since I took the chance to include some of my favorites. I hope that you, the reader, enjoys them, too.

***

When the world went to hell, Sam’s morning had been going about as well as could be hoped for. He had been proud of the fact that he’d gotten out of bed with only two presses of the snooze button, before jumping in the shower with Jess to tickle her mercilessly. Their slippery tickling tumbled right into stolen kisses and trilling laughter, which always signaled that Sam was in for the time of his life.

Sam took his time toweling Jessica’s skin dry when they were through, enjoying the lingering shudders that followed the path of his hands. With a kiss to her still wet hair, Sam dried himself off and went to dress for the day. Finals were starting next week and he wanted to hit the library before his Accounting class that afternoon.

“Remember to lock up on your way out, Jess,” Sam called back over his shoulder, as he grabbed his backpack.

Sam chuckled to himself and shook his head. He was the luckiest man on Earth and he knew well enough not to forget it.

***

Sam’s cell phone chimed impatiently at him. Another text message from Dean, no doubt. Sam huffed out a sigh and hefted the strap of his bag higher up on his shoulder, ignoring the beginnings yet another chime. His brother wasn’t usually this persistent with staying in contact. Generally, they limited themselves to calls on holidays that were more dead silence and intimate longing than endless text messages ‘just to say hi’.

Well, whatever was bothering Dean would have to wait. He needed to take care of his current problem first.

“I understand that this is a very busy time for you with Finals coming up, Deandra, but I really need those books. Can you tell me when they’re due back or who checked them out from the reference desk?” Sam pleaded, trying his damnedest to keep the worst of the whine out of his voice.

Deandra exhaled and shook her dreadlocked head sadly.

“You know that I can’t tell you any of that, Sam. Whoever checked out those books is using them in the library and it’s library policy not to give out student information. We can’t have you lot harassing your fellow students over shared materials. You know that,” Deandra said with the faintest traces of regret tingeing her tone.

“I know, “ Sam insisted. “But what if I didn’t want to harass my fellow students . . so much as share the materials with them? That’d be okay, wouldn’t it? Deandra, you know me. You know that I would never ask this of you if I didn’t really need it.”

Sam gave the most disarming smile that he knew how. Usually, it got him what he wanted and everything that he truly needed on more than one occasion. He was hoping that this would be one of those times in his most desperate hour of need, that good manners and no shortage of begging would merit him results.

Another sigh from Deandra and her eyes crinkled in thought. Almost, almost.

“Please, Deandra,” Sam whined just enough to show that he was not above throwing himself upon any shred of mercy his friend could spare.

“Oh, all right! But I didn’t tell you this! You looked over the counter and read the sign out list!” Deandra huffed in annoyance. “The things I do for you. And what do I get in return?”

Deandra scowled at Sam for several seconds, before her face gave way to the kind of smile that had Sam halfway in love with her when it caught him off-guard. In absolute certainty, Sam knew that between Deandra’s intellect and those smiles, he might be tempted to ask her out for coffee if he weren’t so thoroughly and happily attached to Jess. In another life, he supposed.

“According to the sign out sheet, Anna Davenport checked out all three books a couple of hours ago and she booked a dissertation room up on the second floor, “ Deandra told Sam, as she clicked through the lists on her desktop.

A flick of her eyes in his direction and then they were back on the screen in front of her. “I can’t tell you when they’re due back, since there’s no time limit outside of library hours,” Deandra finished with a click of her mouse.

“Thanks, you’re the best! I won’t forget this!” Sam said gratefully.

Sam grinned in relief. Anna wasn’t so bad. She was intense, but they all were. Competition was not to be dismissed where students were concerned. There were only so many spots available in the graduate program and those that did not exceed expectations while an undergraduate did not stand a chance, no matter how good their admissions interviews went.

With a parting wave to Deandra, Sam turned to head toward the elevator bank around the corner. If all went well, he’d have the materials he needed and perhaps a new study partner as well. He got as far as the wide open center of the main floor between the East and West Wings of Green Library before the world exploded around him.

***

An insistent ringing wormed it’s way into Sam’s dreams. He was lying in an overgrown field he had never seen before, but had no qualms against, on a blanket with Jessica. Her hand was inching toward his as she pointed out space ships and dancing elephants in the clouds.

“I’m telling you, that one is totally the starship Enterprise on its voyage into outer space,” Jess informed Sam. “You can see the twin impulse engines in the back if you look just there.”

Sam followed the direction she was pointing to and laughed in defeat. “When you’re right, you’re right,” Sam gracefully conceded, though there was never truly any argument at all.

“I’m always right,” Jessica chirped through barely held laughter.

The edges of Sam’s grin tugged down when he heard the chiming noise again. He couldn’t figure out for the life of him where it was coming from. Had he even brought his phone with him? He sat up and searched around them, finding nothing, but still hearing the familiar strains of music calling out to him. He knew that song.

Back in black!I hit the sack!It's been too long I'm glad to be back!Yes I'm, let loose!From the noose!

Sam was becoming frustrated now, because he only heard that song when one person called him; and it wasn’t like him to call. He received those calls even less so when his brother was endlessly on the road with their father.

The song played on and Sam looked over to see if Jessica was hearing it, too, but she was simply . . . gone.

With a start, Sam jerked awake. He was covered in debris and it looked like the front of the library had been bombed. He wiped the dust from his eyes and frantically searched around him for the source of AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” His phone was ringing from somewhere underneath a pile of rubble to his right. He could hear other students moaning in pain and shifting through stone, library equipment, and books alike.

What in the hell had just happened? Had they been hit by a terrorist attack? Had an earthquake shaken the entire library loose from its foundation?

Sam warily got to his feet, afraid that if he stood too quickly, the pounding in his head would turn full tilt into a migraine that would land him back on his behind. Stepping carefully, Sam moved over and around the wreckage between himself and his phone. He snatched the little rectangle up just as it stopped ringing. He pulled a face at the dusty plastic and glanced over to the Information Desk to see if Deandra was okay.

“Deandra!” Sam called out, in hopes that his friend had also been spared from the worst of the explosion.

“Yeah, Sam. I’m all right,” Deandra answered back from somewhere below the counter’s line of sight.

Sam could hear Deandra shuffling about and then watched in relief as her head popped above the counter. Her brown skin was almost comically ashen with its new layer of dust. “You okay there?” she asked, looking Sam over for immediate injury.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good,” was all that Sam got out before his phone started ringing again. Sam snarled in annoyance and snapped his phone open.

“Yeah, Dean! Right now’s not really a good time-“ Sam began.

“Sam! Thank God, man! We failed, Sam. We failed. And I thought you’d paid the price for it,“ Dean exhaled bitterly. “Listen, I’m on my way there and Dad is heading up to Bobby’s. We’re going to figure this thing out. I promise.”

“Figure what thing out? Dean, what did you fail to do and what does it have to do with me?”

His agitation grew with each passing moment, as more students and staff members were unearthed around him, while he stood there listening to yet another disastrous tale from Dean. He didn’t have time for the supernatural bad guy of the week, not when his school had so thoroughly gone to hell and he had sworn to leave that life behind him.

“We failed to save the world, Sam. We failed to stop Lucifer from rising!” Dean ground out slowly. “We got to nip this thing in the bud. I’ll explain when I get there.”

“Get here?” Sam uttered in confusion. How would Dean even know where to begin looking for him? So, he asked him as much. “Dean, how do you know where to look for me? You’ve never even been to my house.”

There’s a heartbeat of silence down the line before Sam hears Dean draw a shallow breath. “Never mind that. Look, just head to your apartment and stay put. I’m on my way and I’ll explain everything when I get there, okay?”

“Dean, no. Not okay. I’ve got my own stuff to deal with here. The library just blew in on me and people are buried under rubble here. I’ve got to deal with this, not whatever crap you’re bringing to my doorstep. Besides, I told you when I left, I’m done with that life. I’m out. I’m here and that’s it.”

Another hesitation, then, “That’s not it and you’ll see soon enough.”

“Dean? What is this? You’ve got to give me something more than ‘I’ll see.’”

Sam waited for an answer that never came. When he checked his phone’s screen, he saw that Dean had already hung up.

“Just great,” Sam muttered to himself before going to assist in the rescue effort. He could dimly hear the sound of sirens drawing closer, but he knew that they couldn’t get there soon enough for his liking.

***

Sam slung his bag down on the floor next to the couch. He was sore, filthy, hungry as hell, and ready to sleep for at least twelve hours. It was a shit day and nothing in his life had prepared him for the devastation of his new home. The news reports had been nothing short of a horror story on the radio the entire drive back to the house.

There were reports of earthquakes causing mud slides, rockslides and large chasms opening all over California. Sam had the misfortune of seeing more than his share of abandoned cars swallowed up by the greedy earth and roads blocked from the rockslides between the school and his home. He had also seen more of his fellow students mangled and crushed beneath the shattered heavy stone walls of the library than he ever cared to see.

The authorities claimed that a burst pipeline, as a result of the earthquakes, caused the blast that collapsed portions of the forward sections of the library and several other nearby buildings. Between Dean’s frantic calls and the sheer scope of the damage to the entire state, Sam’s gut said that this was something more. The shit was about to roll down hill and Sam had a feeling that he was about to land right in the middle of it.

Flopping down on the sofa, Sam clicked on the television and called out to Jessica. When she didn’t respond, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and checked for messages. He had spoken to her earlier that day, just to make sure that she was alive, but he hadn’t heard anything since. It seemed that in all of the chaos, he’d missed two calls from Jess and the previous five from Dean. He thumbed through his call log until he reached Jessica’s name and pushed Send.

The phone rang and rang, right into voice mail.

“Hey, baby. I’m at home and I saw that I missed your calls earlier. I’m fine and I just wanted to make sure that you’re safe. Please call me back as soon as you can. I love you. See you when you get home.”

With that done, Sam turned up the volume on the television set and clicked over to a 24-hour news channel.

“Reports have come in from all over the state concerning the severity of the damage. Scientists are marveling at just how neatly the damage was contained to most of California. We’ve never seen anything like this. Right, Bob?”

A middle-aged woman with shoulder length, black hair and red-framed glasses grimaced in concern at the anchor sitting next to her. Bob gave a tight smile in return under his thick mustache, which caused what Sam was certain was a hair piece to slide slightly to the left.

“That’s right, Linda. The National Guard has been sent to the worst hit areas by the President and we suspect that there is more to come. On a related note, the National Speleological Society wants to remind Californians that now is not the time to go spelunking, not until California’s numerous caves have been checked for structural integrity. We will keep you up to date on the latest here on KRON 4 News.”

Linda gave a solemn nod to the camera. “Pacific Gas and Electric, as have other service providers, has reported widespread service outages. We do have confirmation that Pacific Gas and Electric employees will be working around the clock to restore service.

“And now for a look at national news. Harper, I still cannot believe that this happened. Growing up, we were always told that The Big One would cause California to fall into the ocean. But it was our neighbors to the south that have seen this tale become fact. You have more on that.”

The camera panned over to Harper, a tall, stocky man with the beginnings of salt creeping around his temples. “That’s right, Linda. As we reported here first, we have confirmation that the island state of Hawaii has sunk beneath the Pacific Ocean. Authorities are not completely certain yet if Hawaii’s demise is connected to the earthquakes here in California, the other earthquakes that have taken place in other countries around the world, or even the explosion of white light that has reportedly been seen in Ilchester, Maryland.

“If I didn’t know better, Bob and Linda, I’d say that someone upstairs was trying to tell us something. Back to you, Linda.”

“That indeed, Harper. It makes one wonder what that message could be.” Linda paused to smile primly for the camera. “And now in local Sports news. Tell us what we’re looking at, Jonathan!”

Sam didn’t hear what Jonathan had to show the viewers over the sound of Jessica’s key sliding into the front door’s lock. Craning his neck, he smiled at Jessica in greeting before rising to meet her and pull her into a tight hug.

“Hey. I’m so glad that you made it home okay. I was getting worried.”

Jess beamed at him in return and stood up on her toes to peck Sam on the mouth. “I’m glad that I made it home, too. It’s a mad house out there. I saw things on the way home that seem like they’re from a movie. It’s like none of it could be real, even though I know that it is.”

Jessica shuddered as she remembered the sight of chasms opening underneath cars and debris smashing to the ground when the earthquakes hit. She didn’t think she’d live to see the night or Sam even once more. She gave Sam one last, extra tight hug around his middle and pulled back.

“Mind if I drop my bags? They’re getting kind of heavy.”

Sam gave Jess an impish smile and tweaked the end of her nose as he let her go. “Of course, of course.”

Jessica let her backpack and purse slide from around her shoulders to the floor. She rotated her shoulders a few times to relieve the tension and sighed in relief as the blood started flowing uninhibited through her arms.

“Have you had dinner yet?” Jess turned toward the kitchen to go assess their refrigerator stock. “I would say let’s order in from that pizza place, but I don’t know if that’ll be an option tonight.”

“No, time kind of got away from me today, so I haven’t eaten. I’m starving. You want to cook or would you like me to?”

“I got it, but you can help if you want,” Jessica told Sam from her position in the fridge’s doorway. “Let’s see. We’ve got some chicken here that we need to cook before it goes off. I see some veggies, some cheesecake, rice, and uhmmmm . . . Jell-o? I can work with this. Jell-o chicken, right?”

Jess smirked at Sam over her shoulder. Sam playfully tugged her ponytail in reply.

“Or, chicken with veggies and rice is fine, too,” she said happily.

With a quick stop to the bathroom to wash off the day’s toil, the pair returned to the kitchen and set to work. It didn’t take long for Jess and Sam to wash and organize the counter, cutting boards, knives, and food. Jessica sliced chicken, while Sam cut up vegetables. The normalcy of the sounds of chopping and fresh food sizzling in skillets calmed their nerves as they worked. Within a half hour’s work, dinner was prepared and set on the table.

“Tell me about your day,” Jessica said as she dug into the steaming rice on her plate.

Sam told Jessica about going to the library for the books he needed and ending up digging out his fellow students. He told her about the drive home and the circuitous route he had to employ just to make it back to the apartment, even though the student apartments weren’t all that far from campus. He listened as Jessica told him about her day and what it felt like to watch the earth open up under the cars around her. He reached over and took her hand when she got to the part about how she didn’t think that she would make it home to see him again.

Their day was hell, but it could have been a lot worse. They came out on the other side alive and with one another. It was more than Sam could have ever hoped for back when he was crossing America in the backseat of the Impala. Back then, he knew that he would be lucky to stay in one place long enough to find a girl like Jess.

“That was delicious,” Sam complimented Jessica and began to clear the table as he spoke.

“Thank you. I had some help.” Jess grinned at him and moved to help Sam clean up.

Once the kitchen was clean and the leftovers were retired to their resting places in the fridge, Jess pulled Sam into the bedroom. It had been a long day that they were lucky to survive. Jess knew there was a social convention, which demanded that they have we-just-survived-a-major-disaster sex, but all she wanted to do was go to sleep for the rest of the week. Judging by the size of Sam’s yawns as she pulled him along, he seemed to agree.

They each went to their separate drawers to pull out their pajamas and changed in silence. Once done, they pulled back the covers and collapsed into bed together. Sam drew Jessica into his arms and kissed the corners of her mouth before surrendering to the pull of her lips. He pressed his mouth against hers, pouring all of his love and gratitude into the kiss. With her head tucked down against Sam’s chest, Jess finally gave in to sleep.

***

Sam was awoken by the sense of something being off. Even in his sleep, some unknown noise had shaken him from his dreams and the comfort he found in Jessica’s arms. He lay still in bed, hoping to hear what it was again, before he got out of bed to investigate the source of his unease.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

There it was.

Knocking at the door.

A quick glance at the clock told him it was just after three in the morning.

Sam rolled Jess over and slid from beneath their shared covers to answer the knocking. After the day they’d had, this had better be the most important thing Sam would hear in his lifetime.

Flicking on the hall and living room lights on the way, Sam yawned as he trudged to the front door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me,” was the reply through the door.

Sam knew that voice, but-

“Me who? It’s three in the morning, pal.”

“It’s me, Dean, dipshit. You know who this is, now let me in before I let myself in.”

Sam laughed at the old insult from when they were kids. It irritated his brother to no end when Sam did not immediately grant him access to a dwelling, a fact which Sam used to use to needle Dean whenever he was feeling peevish. After all, if he had to put up with him and Dad’s crap, should he not be entitled to deal out a bit of his own?

The snap of the door’s locks in the quiet apartment stunned Sam’s ears, like the echo of a thunderbolt exploding in the sky overhead. Before he could pull the door completely open, Dean was pushing into the room and looking around.

Dean whistled in appreciation of his surroundings. “Nice digs. Got a beer for your older brother? It’s been a long drive, you know.”

Sam sighed and led the way into the kitchen. He retrieved a beer for Dean and pulled one out for himself as well. He might as well enjoy his own beer, before Dean dipped too far into their cache.

He watched as Dean made himself comfortable at the kitchen table and screwed the top off of his beer. Sam’s eyes were drawn to Dean’s throat as he drank deeply from the bottle, relishing every ounce he swallowed. When half the bottle was gone, Dean came up for air and wiped his mouth with his fingertips. Sam’s eyes followed their path. It was one that his own lips once knew so well. He loved college along with his new life that surrounded Jessica, but Dean was the one thing he missed and couldn’t entirely get over.

It might have seemed weird to anyone outside of their family, but both the quiet and boisterous moments spent in bed with Dean were some of the best of Sam’s life. He could never forget the way his brother had always looked out for him. Nor could he forget the way that Dean had kissed him when he needed it most to calm him after a difficult hunt or an argument with Dad. Dean’s embrace had been all the sanctuary that Sam had needed then in the midst of their distorted lives, and it unsettled him to see how far he’d grown away from their version of normal.

His observation did not go unnoticed and Dean chuckled in response. “I see some things never change, do they, little brother?” Dean whispered quietly. “I see that moving out here hasn’t changed all of the things that you want.”

Sam swallowed a gulp of beer before answering. “Actually, they have. I have a girlfriend now. Her name’s Jessica and she’s the reason I didn’t want you barging in here. Now, are you going to tell me what you’re doing here and how you failed to stop Lucifer from rising or not?”

Dean’s eyes flickered between emotions and his lips twisted into an ugly grin that Sam couldn’t tell if it was directed at him or at what Dean had to say.

“Straight to business, huh? Well, the long and the short of it is that Dad and I failed to stop the Apocalypse and we need your help to set things right. Dad already went up to Bobby’s to dig up any information they can find on Lucifer, Azazel, Abbadon, and Lilith. I’m here to bring you up to Bobby’s to help.

“Dad thinks he has a lead on a gun that can kill anything, so we need to go and get it,” Dean said, more to the tabletop and his beer bottle than directly to Sam.

“I just told you that I have a life here and you just expect me to just pick up and go with you? It’s been a long day, Dean. And, if you haven’t noticed, it hasn’t exactly been a pleasant day for the rest of California either.”

“Exactly! When Lucifer was set free from his Cage, it caused a domino effect that’s only going to get worse if we don’t do something to stop it. Hawaii falling into the ocean, the earthquakes, all of the civilians who don’t even know the real reason that they died, that’s on me and Dad. And I’m coming to you, telling you that I need your help to make it right. I need you, Sam. We need you, Sam.

“I know that it sounds like a long shot, but this gun of Dad’s seems like it’ll work. We just need more information. You were always good with that sort of thing, remember?”

Dean’s eyes pleaded with Sam to remember that their Hunts were not all bad and that Sam in fact did some good while the Winchester men were together.

Sam shuffled from foot to foot, balancing the weight of his body and the decision in front of him from hip to hip.

“I don’t know, Dean. It just seems like-“

“Dean? Your brother, Dean?”

Both men turned to look at the newcomer. Jessica leaned against the doorjamb in the tee shirt and shorts she’d worn to bed.

“Well, hello!” Dean began as his eyes wandered down the cut split in Jessica’s top.

“That’s enough, Dean. You’re wasting time,” Sam spoke up, crushing anything further perusal of The Smurfs. “Jessica, why don’t you go back to bed? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Oh, I plan to, but I couldn’t help but overhear some interesting things about Lucifer and earthquakes and you guys’ dad. What is going on here?” Jessica asked, not moving from the doorway.

Dean and Sam glared at one another for a moment and violently shook their heads yes or no, depending on how the other responded. Finally, they settled for a mutual shrug of their shoulders.

“Jess, I don’t want you involved in this. The less you know, the better for you. Besides, Dean here was just leaving,” Sam uttered with a jerk of his head toward the door aimed at Dean.

“Like hell. I’m not going anywhere without you. Sam, we need-“

“I don’t know if I care what you need, Dean. I’ve got my own stuff here and Jessica shouldn’t have to go through what we went through.”

“What did you go through? And why all of the secrets? Sam, just tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help,” Jessica offered.

There was another exchange of panicked glances and then concession. They could argue the entire night away or Sam could allow himself to hear some answers for the madness. He just couldn’t see why there wasn’t a way for him and Dean to go help their dad without getting Jess involved. However, he knew that once Jessica’s interest had been piqued, it was hard to contain it. She had a way of talking him into anything, including, it seemed, allowing her into the life he had worked so hard to escape.

Sam blew out a breath and then walked back over to the fridge. “You want a beer, Jess? You’re going to need it.”

“Sure. Make it two,” she said with an amused quirk of her lips.

Sam spent the next three hours explaining to Jessica that the world of the supernatural was real. He told her about the way they had grown up on the road and how they had really lost their mom. Dean filled in the gaps that he missed or omitted to be kind. Sam noticed that despite the impropriety of doing so, Dean slid in more than a few hints that he would interested in taking Jess off of Sam’s hands ‘for him’. A kick to Dean’s legs cut each attempt short. Dean might have most any woman he wanted, and even Sam himself, but he’d be damned if he stepped back and let his brother have at his girlfriend. Besides, Sam knew he had to hang onto the kind of woman who, in spite of her being completely unnerved by the truth, chose to hear them out the whole way through.

“Soooo, that’s about it, Jess. All of the stories are true and Dean and my Dad seem to have confirmed another one about Heaven and Hell being actual places,” Sam summed up their marathon information session. “Dean, you’ve got to level with us, but we’re all exhausted. Let’s get some sleep and pick this up in a few hours.”

“Yeah, okay. Can I crash on your couch?”

“Sure,” Jessica told him. “Let me get you some sheets and blankets to make up the pull out bed.”

“I see that someone likes to be prepared.” Dean grinned at Jess and Sam and finished his fifth beer in one swallow.

“Well, it’s not like you’re the first person to come over late, drink up all of our beer, which you’re going to replace, by the way, and then need a place to sleep. This is college, Dean. It’s what we do,” Jess told him without stopping to take a breath.

Sam laughed at his brother’s misfortune. He’d walked right into that. Sam found himself to be particularly grateful in that moment that he had a woman like Jess, who was equal parts sugar, spice, and spitfire. Dean wasn’t always used to women that could deal back as well as he gave, so the next few days were sure to be interesting for them all.

With little else to do besides set Dean up for the night and wait while his brother brought in his bags, Sam went back to bed and waited for Jessica to join him. He listened to the sounds of Jess telling Dean where everything was and her handing over the sheets. He listened as the front door was locked and lights were clicked off. Then, finally, Sam relished the simple pleasure of Jess’ footsteps coming down the hall.

He couldn’t help but smile at her when she came into the room, bringing with it his newfound sense of peace.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey, yourself.”

“Get over here.” Sam flipped back the covers on Jess’ side of the bed.

A put up sigh was his reward. “I suppose so. Just this once.”

And then she was there beside him, in his arms, where she belonged.

***

Sam awoke to the sound of Dean talking to someone on the phone. At least, he hoped that he was on the phone, based on the amount of times he heard his brother say “Yes, sir.” And honestly, he didn’t think that Dean would let a stranger into his home without being mildly considerate enough to wake him up. They had rules about that sort of thing, which Sam hoped that Dean still stuck to.

He rolled over in bed to cuddle with Jessica before they got up to face the day ahead. His searching hand came up empty, except for the rumpled, cool sheets that greeted him. It was then that he realized he could hear the sound of the shower running in competition to Dean’s conversation. Sam flopped onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. So much for that.

His morning wood rubbed against his shorts and the sheet across his lap in vain. He contemplated going to join Jessica in the shower, but he knew there’d be no way for them to quietly enjoy themselves without Dean hearing them. And, Dean being Dean, he wouldn’t let go of the fact that he’d heard them.

He let his hand slide under the sheet and into his shorts. He’d be quick, quiet, and get straight to the point. Sam gripped his cock, slid his hand down its length, and closed his eyes. It always felt better when it was Jessica’s hand on him, but he remembered another palm that once felt better than his own. He was just imagining Jess and Dean trading off, stroking his cock and sucking his nipples, when he heard the door creak open a second too late.

“Planning on putting on a show, baby brother?”

Sam’s eyes flew open as he jerked his hand out of his shorts and from beneath the sheet altogether.

“Dean! Have you ever heard of knocking? Or, better yet, staying the hell out of my room??”

“And what? Miss my baby brother taking care of himself? There was once a time where you’d ask me to help you out.” Dean smirked and planted his eyes firmly on Sam’s lap and the erection the thin sheet was doing a poor job of concealing.

Sam snatched a pillow and pressed it over his thighs. “Yeah, there was once a time, but we don’t do that anymore. We were kids. So what?”

Dean leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. “Way I remember it, you weren’t no kid; not with the dick you had on you. But you’re right, that was then. As of right now, I need you to put it away and get dressed. Dad thinks they found a lead.”

Sam huffed in annoyance. “Dean, I’ll be out when I’m out. Now get out of here.”

“Going to finish up, huh? Okay, but make it quick. I’m going to need help figuring this one out.”

Sam flopped back against the bed and glared at the ceiling. Damn, Dean and damn his shitty timing. Hell, damn whatever tore through his city, while he was at it. He was about as pissed as could be expected, but that didn’t explain why he was still hard and aching. That fight with Dean should have put him out of commission, at least for a little while. But there his cock was, leaking precome and ready to go.

He listened to Dean’s footsteps return to the living room and his phone snap open. If Dean would just stay occupied for a few moments and he had the good sense to go close the door, Sam figured that he could take care of his little situation and get on with his day. The only problem being that he realized the shower had shut off in all of the overexcitement of the morning. Sighing to himself, Sam swung his legs out of bed and went to go collect clean shorts and clothes. He’d just jerk off in the shower and be done with it.

Sam greeted Jessica in the hallway with a smile and a kiss to her still-wet hair. Her eyes automatically flicked down to his crotch and the protrusion there. Her palm instinctively found the head of his cock, a place on his body that Sam felt her hands almost always belonged.

“Need a little help there, slugger?”

He chuckled to stop himself from jumping on her offer, as he would any other day. “Not . . . right now. Not with Dean here. He’ll hear us and believe me, you do not want that.”

“And what if I do? We can make him wait until we’re finished and he can thank us for the show.” Jessica winked as she squeezed him through the fabric of his shorts.

God help him, he wanted her all the more. Sleeping with Jess then would go a long way in paying Dean back for the times that he’d brought girls back to the motel room or house they were squatting in when he thought Sam was sleeping. The parade of Ambers, Ericas, and Natalies had kept him up more nights than he had originally cared for. However, it wasn’t long before teenaged hormones demanded that he rub off to the sound of the Beauty of the Week being plowed through the mattress by his big brother. He knew what it felt like to be pressed down underneath that delicious weight and spread open by those strong thighs.

Just for a moment, Sam was utterly tempted. Jessica’s hands were working in tandem, massaging him in the ways she knew he liked best and it had him needy and wanting to come like he hadn’t had sex in a week, instead of a single day. In the end, he nudged her hands away and pulled her to his chest.

“God, I want to like you would not believe. But whatever Dean came all this way to tell us seems important and I want to hear him out, so that we can put him out.” Sam kissed Jessica’s forehead and her adorable nose, before lingering over her mouth. “Once he’s gone, we can finish this conversation, okay?”

Sam put as much of his apology into his smile, as he did the tightness of his embrace.

Jessica stared up at his face for a long moment before nodding her assent and pulling away to get ready. As Sam looked at the closed door between them, he wondered if his good intentions were seen as something more; something he’d have to fix later with flowers and groveling and a lot of time with his lips wrapped around Jess’ clit. Not that he minded any of these things, but he hated for her to feel shut out when she was only trying to help.

Sam slunk into the bathroom and got into the shower. He let the water rush down his body for several minutes before giving in to the obvious need and took himself in hand. Here, he could be quick, quiet, and to the point, finally.

When he was done with his shower and dressed for the day, Sam strode into the kitchen where Dean was mid-sentence telling Jess about the time they were chased through the neighborhood of one of their Hunts by a pack of dogs. It hadn’t started out with the entire pack, just the one dog that they’d unintentionally provoked by stomping through an overgrown parking lot that ‘belonged’ to the dogs. From there, it quickly flew down hill and they barely made it back to the Impala without injury.

Sam laughed along with his brother and his girlfriend as he moved around the kitchen, collecting the various breakfast items someone had prepared on his plate.

“So then, Dad just gives us this look and asks us ‘Boys, what trouble have you gotten yourselves into?’ and me and Sam just look at each other and burst out laughing. You know, the kind of laugh where you don’t know why you’re laughing and you don’t know how you’ll stop, but you’re just so relieved to be alive that it just comes out of nowhere?”

Dean pauses while Jess nods encouragingly. “So, we tell him how we went through this parking lot and then shit went sideways. Of course, Dad snaps at me about my language, as usual, but I just shrugged it off because we’d just survived nearly being mauled.

“By the way, nice of you to join us, Sam. Jessica and I were just getting to know one another better,” Dean finished, when Sam sat down at the kitchen table with the pair.

“Nice to be invited into the conversation with my own girlfriend in my own house, Dean,” Sam grumbled and shoved a fork full of eggs into his mouth only slightly resentful.

Dean grinned at the remark and Jess gave Sam’s forearm a squeeze.

“Well, since we’re all here. Let’s get down to business. I just got off the phone with Dad and Bobby. Things have changed. I thought that we would have to go get this Colt from Dad and Bobby’s friend, but it turns out that we were wrong. While we were snoozing, Bobby got in contact with a friend of his by the name of Pamela Barnes. Psychic he knows that’s usually right on. Well, he asks her about the earthquakes, Lucifer, and the reigning King and Queen of Hell and she comes back with this prophesy that has nothing to do with a gun.

“She told him, and I quote, ‘The darkest of Winged Allies must be raised to stop the darkest of Winged Foes,’” Dean says and looks at Sam and Jess to see how they’ve accepted the news.

He notes that Jess looks half-sick with further news of the supernatural world and Sam appears to be pondering the meaning the prophecy already.

“Darkest of “Winged Allies” and darkest of “Winged Foes.” That makes me think that we’re looking for the same creature, if you will, but ones who are working for different sides. What else did she say?” Sam asks, twirling his fork between his fingers.

“She also said that she saw herself in a cave that moans out to be heard with flashes of what looked like very large wings. There should be a large main stairway and rooms that branch off. Other than that, she said the vision cut off before she saw anymore.”

“A ‘cave that moans out to be heard’?” Jess lets the phrase roll over her tongue while the boys glanced over at one another.

“Yeah. And I figure that if we’re going to be in a cave looking for winged creatures, my best guess are really large bats. You know, even though I don’t know how bats can help us save the freaking world from Azazel and Abbadon.”

“Wait, wait. Who are Azazel and Abbadon?” Jess asks, her face scrunching up in vague confusion.

Sam watched his brother’s face twitch as he exhaled deeply before answering.

“Azazel and Abbadon are the King and Queen of Hell and me and Dad managed to piss them off in a big way. We derailed their plans to use ‘special children’ they picked out to help them set Lucifer free, but fucked up and helped set him free anyway.” Dean rubbed his hands over his face and growled in frustration into his palms. “When I say that we fucked up, I mean bad. It’s never been anything like this before.”

“But . . . But how did you set Lucifer free?” Sam interjected.

“That’s . . . complicated and kind of a long story. So, we need to figure this thing about the caves out so that we can get on the road.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You come in here and demand that I help you, and by extension, Jessica help you, but you don’t offer us full disclosure? No, we need to know what we’re walking into. How did you set Lucifer free? And how does he even exist for real in the first place?” Every inch of annoyance that Sam felt growing through his body crept into his words, but he couldn’t say that he minded very much. This was a hell of a favor to ask of them and they needed to know; they had a right to know.

Another exhale had Jess rubbing Dean’s forearm encouragingly.

Through his teeth, Dean told the table about Dad’s capture and torture for 100 days by Azazel and Abbadon, to get him to start the Apocalypse. But their dad, their flawed and strong father never broke. He never accepted Azazel’s offer to climb off the torturing rack and cut into someone else to save his own skin. Dean told them how terrified he had been that Dad had been where Dean could not find him. He explained the horror he felt when the demons had thrown John’s tortured body on the side of the road outside of the motel Dean had holed up in for the previous week and a half.

Then, through stops and stutters laced with overwhelming guilt, Dean told Sam and Jess about their handful of days of rest, where he tried to bring their dad back to himself. At first, their father seemed too catatonic for thought or speech and Dean was becoming desperate enough to consider taking their dad to a hospital. He’d cleaned up his wounds as best that he could, but still, John was barely responding to food or water and he needed help getting to the bathroom. Speech was impossible. John merely laid in bed and stared into space with glazed eyes and nightmares that had him screaming awake during the few hours he managed to nod off.

John had just managed to recover enough for his eyes to focus and his first words to be spoken when the demons returned. John had just been about to ask Dean what he wanted for breakfast. It was a simple thing, but it gave Dean hope that their dad was returning to himself. In the bathroom mirror over his shoulder, John met Dean’s eyes as two demons grabbed a hold of each of his arms in the open doorway. The sound of their father screaming his name in terror still rang in Dean’s ears, all of these long weeks later.

At some point, Jessica had smartly removed the breakfast dishes, scraped the remaining bits of food into the trash, and set the dishes in the sink. She’d returned with the largest bottle of whiskey they owned and three glasses. Dean stared into the liquid comfort as he uttered the final words of his story concerning his own time on the rack and how he’d opened the first Seal by folding under torture after 40 days. The shame in his voice and his tears on their kitchen table told Sam and Jess everything they needed to know about how Dean felt as he cut into a fellow Hunter to relieve himself of his own torment.

But by the grace of God, or a demon tortured by John himself with the skills he had acquired from Azazel and Abbadon, John found out where Dean was being held. With the help of several of his Hunter friends, including the almost forgotten, Bill and Ellen Harvelle and their daughter Jo, John broke in set Dean free. But by then, it was too late. Azazel and Abbadon had escaped, laughing madly about how the world was about to become much more interesting.

Dean stopped then and stomped off to the bathroom to relieve himself or to cry himself out. Sam and Jess exchanged looks of confirmation across the table. There was no way they wouldn’t help Dean now. By the time Dean had collected himself, the pair had already packed for what they figured would be an extended absence and began talking over which cave the prophecy was referring to.

“Hey, Dean,” Sam called out from the kitchen. “We might have figured out which cave we need.”

“All right. Just gimme a second to finish up in here.”

Sam and Jess listened as water splashed around and faucets were shut off.

“Just needed to clean up a bit, you know? Long time on the road and all,” Dean said, by way of explaining his lengthy absence and the water use. “Now, what were you saying about you guys knowing the cave we needed to head to?”

“It was Jess, actually.” Sam grinned over at his girlfriend in pride and admiration for her quick thinking. She’d have made a fine Hunter, even though he would never wish that life for her. “We got to talking about all of the caves that we’ve visited and she remembered a cave that moans, the Moaning Caverns, to be precise. They even have the main stairway down into the cave and rooms that branch off, just like Pamela described.”

Dean chuckled in relief and clapped his hands together. “Now we’re talkin’! You guys get packed and then we can go.”

“Already ahead of you, Dean. We’re ready to walk out the door,” Jess informed Dean as she gestured to the bags around their feet.

“Even better.” Dean grabbed his things and made for the door.

As Sam locked the door behind them, he hoped against everything he knew they’d be facing that he’d see their home again at the end.

***

Driving across the state with his brother and his girlfriend turned out to be much more pleasant than Sam had anticipated. He wasn’t sure how much Led Zeppelin his girlfriend could take or how loudly Dean would insist they pump the music to ‘ready them for battle’. But surprisingly, Jess’ tastes in music ranged further than even Sam realized, a former unknown that he found himself to be insanely thankful for.

They were making great time until they hit traffic on I-880 and passed an accident that made him think twice about the fact that Dean was driving after their breakfast liquids of choice. But there’d been times where Dean and Dad both had driven after a few too many and their reactive instincts had grown so great that no small amount of liquor was going to have them crashing into a cement divider anytime soon.

Sam humored the small talk and Dean’s round of asking Jess as many embarrassing questions about Sam’s new life as he could squeeze in, but Sam drew the line at the weirdest place Jess and Sam had gotten down to business. It was the restroom of an ice cream shop with a broken door lock, thank you very much, not that it was any of Dean’s concern. Besides, Sam knew from the way Dean dutifully backed away from the subject at Sam’s glare, that he really didn’t want Sam spilling his own adventurous secrets in revenge.

He did opt to do Dean the honor of tuning back in once his wayward brother moved on to filling them in with more details about the situation at hand. You could never be too prepared for such an intimidating task.

Sam’s gaze was plastered to the landscape as they pulled into the welcome area of the park. It had been several years since he and Jessica had crossed this cave off of their to do list, but the mountains and the area surrounding them were as beautiful as ever. He briefly wondered why he and Jess didn’t make more time to get way off of campus to enjoy the natural beauty California had to offer more frequently; but, he supposed that he saw enough nature on his and Dean’s childhood travels and that his law degree wouldn’t earn itself.

He took note of the new zip line feature as they rolled past signs welcoming them to the park and informing visitors about the park’s hours of operation. They’d have some time yet before a group of what looked to be inspectors finished for the day and Sam told Dean and Jess as much. After a few moments of deliberation, the group decided to head into town for some grub and to rent a motel room for the night. They could come back after back after dark and reassess the situation.

***

Sam’s stomach felt almost uncomfortably full after the feast they’d had. Dean had insisted they pig out while they continued ‘get to know each other’. Sam already knew what that meant, as he and Dean knew each other better than anyone in the world. No one would know every one his flaws, his weaknesses, or his greatest strengths like Dean. Jess was coming in on a close second, a fact that she slyly reminded him of when she and Dean faced off in what they liked to call Facts About Sammy! It took all but a miracle from God, to whom Sam was fervently praying, to separate the two when they ganged up on him.

The sooner they were off of this road trip and back home, the better. This was more bonding than any man could take when his girlfriend plus his brother equaled an on-going one-upmanship between the two.

“Don’t fall behind there, Sammy. It’s not like we’re in a hurry here or anything,” Dean threw back over his shoulder.

Sam couldn’t help the face he pulled as he kicked rocks in Dean’s direction. He was back to being the baby brother, it seemed.

“I’m sorry that I’m not stomping ahead loudly enough for you, Dean. Some of us are trying to employ a bit of stealth here.”

Jess glanced between the two of them and laughed as she ran ahead like they could only hope to catch up with her.

Once at the front door, Dean popped the lock, with Jess taking in his every manipulation of the lock’s inner tumblers. As quietly as possible, they crept across the lobby to the main stairwell down. Through the beams of their flashlights, they saw that this cave had remarkably been spared the worst of the damage that seemed to have overwhelmed other areas of the world and other less fortunate caverns in California.

They had 234 steps to walk down to descend 165 feet, or so the posted signs and the cavern’s website told them, before they’d reach a flat area they could look around for clues. The cooler, humid air mixed with the walk down seemed to tax all of them the further they went. Sam wondered how in the hell they’d make it back up without keeling over.

Their feet landed in mud and rock at the end of their trek down into the conquering darkness. Their flashlights illuminated rocky hollows, off-shooting passages, the metal cage that encased the stairwell, and the places where 13,000-year-old human bones were discovered by the Miwok Native Americans. The layers of history that encircled them were not lost on Sam.

After an hour’s search of not much but rock and mud, Sam and Dean were ready to call it a bust. Although these caverns moaned, they couldn’t be certain that it was enough to fit Pamela’s vision. Just as Sam was about to call Jess back, she spoke up first from one of the further reaching tunnels.

“Guuuuuys, I think that I see something down here.”

The waver in her voice made Sam think that ‘something’ might be just what they were looking for.

“Anything with huge wings, because all I’ve found down here are bugs,” Dean replied.

“I think that I see light down here. Bright, flickering light and shadows,” Jess called back. “It’s like . . . There’s a fire down here.”

Not sooner had Jess uttered those fateful words, did a thunderous roar tear throughout the cavern. The sound of Jess’ feet hitting the ground competed with Sam’s screams for her to come back to the main area. Sam shouted for Dean to make his way back up the stairs and that he’d get Jess out.

He ran toward the tunnel he’d seen Jess take and bodily slammed into her as she ran toward him.

“Sam! Sam, I saw it! I saw what looked like huge wings shadowed against the walls. Whatever those things are, they aren’t bats. We have to get out of here!”

Sam didn’t need the following roars to convince him otherwise. Grabbing Jessica’s hand, Sam dashed toward the stairwell and hit the steps in a flat run. He could hear Dean running up the stairs above them and could only hope that they could move fast enough to outrun whatever was in the cavern below them.

They felt the rising heat before they saw the mushroom cloud of flame that filled the bottom of the stairwell they’d occupied only minutes before. Oh, this was definitely not bats.

Sam heard Dean crash through the lobby door and yell for him and Jess to move their asses before they ended up being rump roast. Even wheezing for air, Sam couldn’t contain his sigh of impatience. Was now truly the time for jokes when whatever the hell was behind them might honestly cook them? In Dean’s mind, apparently so.

His sides were killing him when Sam dragged Jess through the lobby door. A quick glance at his girlfriend told him that she wasn’t doing much better. Through the glass of the front door, Sam could see that Dean had pulled right up to the front of the building to collect them. Amongst his muddled thoughts of pain and fire and fear, Sam thanked God for small miracles before he dragged Jessica out the door and into the waiting Impala.